Airplanes
by stilessttilinski
Summary: In which Percy is terrified and Annabeth is there. - Percabeth, for Pearl.


**a/n: belated Christmas present for Pearl; this sucks but i don't have the time and i'm sorry, i love you bb.**

**disclaimer: rick riordan ©**

* * *

><p>There are no words for how much he detests planes. To be honest, he has to say he's probably more afraid that Zeus will strike him out of the sky while he's stuck in one of these death traps than of dueling with Zeus himself. He doesn't take planes often, only when he really, really has to, and when he does he sends an extra thought to his dad – you know, just in case and all.<p>

Percy prefers Annabeth to be there when he goes on a plane, anyway. So when he's standing at the boarding fate, Annabeth is right there beside him, blonde hair pulled into a loose ponytail and grey eyes looking determinedly up at the sky, as if the gods will help her now.

He checks in and together they walk into the airplane, past rows of blue-black scratchy chairs and sitting down silently, filing into seats A and B. Both are looking ahead of them at the seats in front of them, the rough cloth rubbing against the backs of their heads in this awfully uncomfortable fashion, and Percy grits his teeth and looks out the window instead.

He closes his eyes as the Captain goes over basic safety rules, the somewhat pretty flight attendants holding up yellow masks and clicking seatbelts. He glares out the window, cursing Zeus and damning him to the pits of Tartarus. He is surprised Zeus hasn't sent down lightning by now, but supposes he will wait until Percy is in the air to make his move. His hand grips the armrest semi-automatically.

When the plane starts moving, accelerating, gaining speed as the engines roar to life around him, Percy takes a breath.

THREE, TWO, ONE –

Liftoff.

His breaths become shallow and he wants to throw up as soon as they lift off of the ground and into the air.

OH MY GODS HELP ME; ZEUS DON'T _DON'T YOU DARE_.

The plane rumbles and then it is almost silent as they gain altitude, the engines stopping their roars as the plane begins to take a smooth ride.

He grips the armrest and doesn't look at Annabeth, not once.

An hour in is when disaster decides to strike; well, at least for him. The plane shakes, suddenly, once, and then the captain is announcing that they are going through turbulence and –

ZEUS FUCK YOU NO NOT TODAY _NOT TODAY_.

The plane shudders, groaning and moaning and grumbling, a deep sort of rumble he would've expected coming from a man's throat. He imagines the rumble of Zeus' laughter and decides that is what it sounds like.

The turbulence begins again.

NO NO NO DAD SAVE ME SOMEONE _HELP, DAMMIT –_

And there's a warm hand clenched tightly around his.

Annabeth is gripping his hand, pressing crescent moons into his skin, her knuckles turning white and she squeezes his hand, in this way that is actually surprisingly comforting.

In short, this is kind of embarrassing.

Her hand gives his a squeeze every time the plane so much as lets out a growl, but she is still staring straight ahead and he's glad because he doesn't want her to see him like this –

So afraid. Weak.

But Annabeth does not look his way once or send any teasing remarks at all and in a way he's grateful.

Their linked hands are really the only indication that they mean something, anything; otherwise he would just be a stranger staring at the dark skies and she would just be a stranger looking straight ahead at blue-patterned cloth in front of her, as if waiting for it to spontaneously combust.

Eventually the rumbles cease and Percy's first thought might've been to thank the gods, but instead It is to thank Annabeth.

They step off the plane onto land; Percy thinks he has never liked the feel of the ground beneath him any more than he does now.

Their hands are still loosely entwined, and they file out with their one suitcase silently.

When they walk into the airport, she kisses his cheek, a slight grazing across his cheekbone all the way to his jaw, and he knows he is in love.

Suddenly planes do not seem like much of a threat at all, not with Annabeth there.

She grins and he grins back and they leave, together and unafraid and ready to take on the world.

(Somewhere up there, Zeus is stunned into silence.)

* * *

><p><strong>an: uh, love you. sorry about this.**

**please don't favourite without reviewing!**


End file.
